Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Not Reading
Book - 2011 | 1st ed.
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Opinion
From Library Staff
From Library Staff
Middle schooler Charlie Joe is proud of his success at avoiding reading, but eventually his schemes go too far
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Age Suitability
Add Age Suitabilityellachatalas thinks this title is suitable for between the ages of 9 and 13
Summary
Add a SummaryLet’s be clear. Charlie Joe Jackson is a charming guy. If you met him you’d probably like him. Lots of people do, and why not? This is a kid who has figured out what it is he wants out of life and goes for it. Take reading. Charlie hates it. Couldn’t dislike it more. So over the years he and his friend Timmy have set up a nice little arrangement. Timmy will read books for Charlie if in exchange he can get free ice cream sandwiches. Everything’s going beautifully until the day Timmy destroys Charlie’s sweet scheme. Caught, Charlie finds himself facing a huge school project with a ton of reading on the horizon. He has a plan to get out of it, but it hinges on setting up the girl of his dreams with the class nerd. Can Charlie keep himself from reading from here on in? And do we even want him to?
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Comment
Add a CommentI love Tommy Greenwald’s book so funny. And that silly ol’ Charile joe so funny. Recommend it to any humor love kids/ adults.😃😃😂😂
Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Not Reading is one of the funniest books that I have ever read. Thee only thing that I would change is to a "New Zealand" Model. I know this sounds a bit strange but, I know this is American as some of the words are spelt incorrectly.
This book is about a 6th grade (just guessing he is in 6th grade) boy named Charlie Joe Jackson. He is trying to get through middle school without reading a single book. This book is part of a series of Charlie's life. Each book in this series deals with a theme, for example reading in this case.
I like this book because it has good humor, characters, and drawings. The author really understands what is going on a 6th graders mind. This book relates to my life because I think my parents have too high expectations sometimes.
I think this book is good for 4th-6th graders. So altogether I think this book is great.
(p.s. I think the author is trying to trick kids that dont like reading into reading)
by Cassidy, age 11
Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Not Reading is the author's first book. In fact, according to the biography on the inside jacket, he wrote this novel to convince his sons Charlie, Joe, and Jack to read; so, even the title reflects Greenwald's attempt to get his children to engage with literature.
A humorous romp through the end of Charlie Joe's school year, this book may very well lure reluctant readers to crack it open and keep reading. Right from the beginning, the narrator promises short words, short pages, and short chapters. Plot twists include middle school love interests, plans to outsmart teachers and parents, and a social experiment to break down cliques. Interspersed between chapters, Charlie Joe shares 25 tongue-in-cheek tips to avoid reading.
The whimsical cartoons by J. P. Coovert strewn throughout the book add to the book's appeal.
This Book was TOO childish for me. I guess I am "getting too old for this." :P
Reluctant readers, bane of the nation, are the target audience here. Will they like the book? Well, there’s lots to be said for short chapters and a hero who’s on their side. Pictures don’t hurt matters much either. Greenwald could have turned this into a preachy tract, saying something about how assigned reading in schools sucks the fun out of books and turns legions of children into non-readers every year. That’s true and a good lesson but I appreciate that instead his non-reader comes by his non-reading honestly. Like a lot of kids, he just never took to it. All in all it’s a great idea. Book haters of the world, your spokesman is here.